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Crew Continuing To Weigh Transfer Targets

By: Adam Jardy

The Columbus Dispatch - July 10, 2014 02:20 PM

It has been two days since Major League Soccer’s secondary transfer window opened. The window
will close August 6, which means the Crew has less than four weeks if it hopes to find outside help
for the 2014 season.

After today’s training session at the Crew’s facility in Obetz, coach Gregg Berhalter said the
staff continues working on trying to upgrade the roster.

“Obviously you want to be thorough and do your work and get good value, so it’s something that
we’re working through,” he said. “It’s not an easy proposition.”

During the offseason and preseason, the Crew upgraded its defense by signing the likes of
Michael Parkhurst and Giancarlo Gonzalez. Since then, both Berhalter and Crew investor-operator
Anthony Precourt have gone on record stating that the next priority is finding a consistent
scorer.

Today, Berhalter said the Crew has talked about adding “a player or two,” before adding, “It’s
just (about) adding the right guy.”

Therein lies some of the Crew’s struggles. Both Precourt and Berhalter have consistently said
that there is money to spend under the salary cap but that it has to be for the right type of
player who fits into the Crew’s vision. Precourt has even gone as far as to say that a second
designated player to complement Federico Higuain would be on the table given the right
situation.

I’ve heard that the search for a goal scorer is paramount within the Crew’s front office right
now. There is a sense that this year’s team, while still being possibly a year or two away from
being a consistent powerhouse threat, has a strong defense and spine through the midfield that just
needs a reliable striker to put balls in the net to be a legitimate playoff contender. After
trading Dominic Oduro to Toronto in early June, Jairo Arrieta is the only player with extensive MLS
experience at forward left on the roster.

Arrieta has three goals in 15 appearances including 12 starts this season and just one goal in
his last nine games – although he had one called back Friday at Colorado after replays showed he
had been wrongly flagged offside. The staff is pleased with Arrieta’s work ethic and positive
attitude, but the Crew still needs more production at forward.

The problem – if you want to call it that – is it seems that Berhalter is being methodical about
this search much like he has been in all aspects of the job since taking over after last season. I
get the sense that the Crew has a lengthy checklist of criteria it is using to weigh potential
signings, and finding the right guy – at the right price, too – is not easy. I’ve heard that the
Crew has looked at literally hundreds of potential candidates.

It’s why the source who told me the Crew could be close to signing someone last week said things
could still happen with that player, albeit perhaps a bit slower than others are hoping.

So for now, it seems the Crew will continue to do its due diligence and try and find the best
player who best fits both Berhalter’s vision and Precourt’s budget. Will it happen before August 6?
If not, I’m not sure it will be for a lack of effort.